What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon D5100?

The Nikon D5100 provides 16.1 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 4.80µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Nikon D5100 measures 23.6mm in width and 15.7mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 371 mm². Moreover, the D5100 has 4 928 horizontal pixels and 3 264 vertical pixels, for a total of 16.1 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (371 mm²) to the MP count (16 084 992).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon D5100 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D5100	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.5	13.6	1183	80
2.		Canon T2i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	784	66
3.		Nikon D3100	APS-C	14.2	4608	3072	1080/24p	22.5	11.3	919	67
4.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
5.		Nikon D5000	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	868	72
6.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
7.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
8.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
9.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
10.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
11.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon D5100 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the D5100 was initially launched in April 2011 at a price of $749.

Check D5100 offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

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